What is the teaching that is most important to you?

Non identification. The insight that who we are is not a story nor our inner dialog, but a constantly renewing experience of presence.

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What helps you practice self-compassion?

Radical acceptance of my feelings, without getting involved in the inferences and beliefs that arise.

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What are you most insecure about and what helped?

I used to be hypervigilant of the opinions of others, and eager to find approval.  Noticing the thoughts that fed these habits and letting them go without judgement helped a lot. That, along with the insight that I am not my thoughts, and I am not the “social self” that we are trained to believe we are.

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Tell us about the last time you cried and how you soothed yourself.

My wife’s uncle died of Covid a couple of weeks ago. I knew him for over 40 years. I organized an online memorial with the family. I cried when sharing. Soothing happened quite naturally in the loving context we´d all created.

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What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced? How did you overcome it?

Many years ago when realizing that being in the Buddhist Order I was part of wasn’t helping my spiritual growth. I resigned from the Order without blame, resentment or guilt, as best I could. The freedom and creativity that came after has been an incredible gift.

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What have you let go of that made your life a little easier?

Seeking approval.

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What’s your guilty pleasure?

None.

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Given the choice of anyone in the world, who would you want as your dinner guest?

A kind stranger.

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What is a funny, embarrassing moment from your life?‍

Many years ago, just about to teach a yoga class, as I took off my pants in front of  a group of new students, suddenly realizing that I wasn’t wearing my yoga shorts underneath.

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